Lonely One
by Selena Snow
Summary: It all began with a sorting hat ceremony that went wrong, leaving young Emmeline Petrova without a house. After she's thrown into Gryffindor, she slowly begins to build her web of lies to conceal the truth. But after the war is over, a certain new Herbology professor may be able to get her untangled, and also find love along the way.
1. How It Began

**A/N: Wow! My very first Harry Potter fanfiction! It's a bit nerve wracking, but let's hope that it turns out alright!**

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><p>Hello! My name is Emmeline. If you haven't heard of me, that's okay- all anyone hears about these days are the "Golden Trio", and I'm not even in their year. I'm in the year below them, actually. I'm not that interesting, really, with the exception one small event, which I will now tell you about. Although I'm sure that if you asked anyone else, they would insist that this was a much bigger event than I made it out to be.<p>

It all started out with the sorting hat.

And of course, at the ceremony where I was the most nervous, I had to be the last one to go, making me stand there awkwardly in front of everyone as the second to last person sat in the chair.

"Slytherin!" the hat announced proudly from the girl's head. A round of applause erupted and she stalked away to her table. At this point, I could hardly feel my legs.

'Yep, definitely not a Gryffindor,' I told myself.

"Emmeline Petrova," Professor McGonagall called. I shakily stepped up to the chair and sat down in it, feeling the eyes of everyone (except for a few proud Slytherin, of course) on me. The sorting hat was placed on my head, and I shut my eyes tightly in worry.

"Hmm…" he grumbled, shifting around a bit. "I…am unsure," he admitted.

My eyes shot open at this, my heart racing in my chest. Whispers and gasps could be heard all throughout the room. I looked to McGonagall, who tried to smile confidently as she leaned over to the sorting hat.

"What do you mean you're not sure?" she whispered.

"There is Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin in her," he said back, and not too quietly, either. The entire hall stilled at this, confusion hanging over everyone's heads.

McGonagall laughed uneasily. "Well, it would seem that our resident sorting hat is rather tired after all of our new first years. Let the feast commence!" she announced hurriedly as a distraction, conjuring all sorts of food on the tables. The distraction worked, seeing as how nobody saw how she and Dumbledore escorted me out of the hall.

I followed after the two, surprisingly having found my legs to have strength again. I memorized the halls that we passed through as they whispered in front of me. As I continued to look around, I listened in closely.

"This cannot be!" McGonagall insisted.

"Who are we to say what can or cannot be?" Dumbledore replied sagely. "Or perhaps I should say, what should and shouldn't be."

"But that hat has always chosen a house for every student, even if they did have various traits," McGonagall reminded. "It chooses the strongest trait."

"Well then perhaps we should realize that these are human beings, not just witches and wizards," Dumbledore responded. "I have seen Hufflepuff as well as Slytherin in her already. Isn't that correct, Miss Petrova?" he asked, turning around suddenly with a knowing twinkle in his eyes.

I stuttered, feeling my cheeks flush at being caught eavesdropping. "P-Pardon?"

He simply smiled before he turned around and continued walking. A few silent seconds later, we arrived at an alcove with a rather large statue of a bird.

Dumbledore approached it and whispered softly, "Aperi."

I raised my eyebrow at this. "As in the Latin word for open? Not very clever, if you think about it."

McGonagall and Dumbledore met my stare as we entered the alcove onto the slowly rising staircase. "Ah, and now I see the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor," Dumbledore said with a smile. I blushed at this, suddenly realizing that I perhaps shouldn't have said anything.

When we exited the curious staircase, I found myself in awe of what I assumed was the wise headmaster's office. Said headmaster simply went forth and conjured a pot of tea at his desk. "Please, sit," he said, motioning toward the two chairs in front of his desk. I sat down as I was told, taking note of the beautiful phoenix that stared back at me.

As soon as Professor McGonagall sat down in the chair next to me, Dumbledore handed me a cup of tea and began to speak. "As I'm sure you know, this is a rather rare case," he started out, not taking his eyes off me as he seemed to scan me. "In all of my years, I have not witnessed such an event, and so I believe that in this case, it would be best to differ to your judgement."

I blinked my eyes rapidly in surprise. "Wait, me? My judgement?" I asked, and he nodded in confirmation. "Sir, with all due respect, I'm not sure that's the best decision." There I go, not able to control my stupid mouth.

He raised his eyebrows, not critically, but almost as if he was amused. "Oh? And why do you think that you should not be the one to decide where you best belong?"

I thought this over quietly, seeing his point. If there was one person who knew me best, it was me, obviously. But now that I had to make the decision, it seemed like my own view of myself was warped. I took in a deep breath as I thought it over, but I couldn't decide. I was shy like a Hufflepuff, but spoke like a Gryffindor. I was smart as a Ravenclaw, but as conniving as a Slytherin (that is, only when I wanted to be…which, now that I thought about it, was quite often).

"I am…unsure as well, sir," I admitted after a few moments of silence. I made myself look up into his all knowing eyes. "I do not know which house would best suit me." I heard McGonagall let out a disappointed sigh from beside me.

"Well then it's settled," Dumbledore said as if he had found the perfect solution. "Until further notice, you will be in Gryffindor."

McGonagall stuttered as she tried to find the right words. "Excuse me? Do you have any idea what that could mean? She will be expected to have every single trait of a true Gryffindor, and-"

"Minerva, I am sure that your cubs will be more than welcome to her," Dumbledore said calmly. "Unless you'd rather me put her in Slytherin, where she most likely would be ostracized and have no one to go to except for Professor Snape." I shuddered at the thought of having to go to the dark wizard for help. No, please not Slytherin.

McGonagall nodded slowly at this, seeing the truth in his words. "And I suppose that no one else is to know about this conversation except for us, leaving me to be the best option for her house leader should trouble occur."

Dumbledore nodded once. "It is the best, and perhaps our only, option." His attention then turned back to me. "Minerva will lead you to your room in the Gryffindor tower. I suggest that she have a private room-" he held up a hand to stop whatever words were about to come out of McGonagall's mouth "-lest she have disagreements with those that she would have been sharing a room with."

McGonagall stood up, her lips pursed tightly. "Yes, Albus. Come along then, dear."

Just before we reached the staircase, Dumbledore called my name, making me turn around. "If trouble arises with your situation, I do believe you know that password," he said with a kind smile.

I nodded. "Thank you, sir." And with that, McGonagall and myself left the office. She lead me through the corridors silently, every now and then pointing out something that I needed to know. Once we arrived at a large picture, the lady in it began to talk excitedly to McGonagall, who pointedly ignored her.

"The password this year is obscura silva," she explained, making the painting open to reveal a passageway.

"Referring to the dark forrest," I said, not so much as a question, but as a statement.

McGonagall allowed a small smile. "Yes, indeed." She lead me through to the commonroom, which was of course decorated with all shades of deep red and gold. "This staircase is for the girls," she said as we walked up it. "And the other is for the boys. Each room is sorted out by year, although since you will have a private room, that will not matter unless you are later put with other girls. Any questions?" she asked as we stopped in front of a door, to which I shook my head. "Good. This is your room, and since it has not yet been reserved, it is in need of a password."

I ran multiple ideas through my head before I came across one. "Solus unus," I said, and the door creaked open.

I didn't see her confused look, but I could hear it in Professor McGonagall's voice. "And what does that mean?"

I turned my gaze away from the room and smiled sadly. "Lonely one," I translated. She immediately sighed sadly, as if she'd been expecting this.

"Emmeline," she began as she approached me. "Regardless of your situation, your are now a Gryffindor. We are a very close family, and despite you living by yourself, I have no worries about you making friends," she told me. "You will only be as lonely as you make yourself, alright?" I nodded at this. "And do know that if I hear of you moping around in here all day by yourself, that I will come and get you and make you play Quidditch, understood?" she said with a warm smile.

I laughed at this. "You probably wouldn't want me playing Quidditch, Professor. I'm as uncoordinated as a troll."

She smiled at this. "Very well, then. The rest of the house should be arriving soon, and I expect you to be with the others in the commonroom, alright?"

I nodded, and she left. My bags appeared in the center of my room just moments later, making me jump. As I explored my new room, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of nervousness and excitement. If there was one thing that I'd never expected to be (coming from a Ravenclaw father and Hufflepuff mother, after all), it would be a Gryffindor.

I passed the next few minutes by tying my red and gold tie around my neck as I sat on the unexpectedly large bed. Beside my bed was a small table, and in front of it was a dresser. I also found a closet, sitting area with fireplace and bookshelf, and (to my utter and complete shock) a private bathroom. At that moment, I half wondered if my "special treatment" would cause more trouble than Dumbledore thought. That thought was disrupted, though, by the sounds of people downstairs in the commonroom.

I took in a deep breath and braced myself for whatever might happen before I went quietly down the stairs. To my relief, everyone was too busy talking to notice me, allowing me to slip quietly into the crowd. That is, until a boy about my age with a camera took a photo.

"Wow! You're that girl that didn't get sorted!" he said loudly, causing a few people nearby to look over. "How'd you wind up in Gryffindor?"

"Oh, the sorting hat was just tired. He sorted me Gryffindor after he had a quick rest," I lied easily, making me curse my inner Slytherin.

"That's so cool!" the boy said in awe. "I'm Colin, by the way! Nice meeting you!" he called as he ran off, probably to take some more pictures.

"It's true, then? The sorting hat was just tired?" a girl with bushy, curly hair similar to my own asked curiously. I nodded, hoping that I looked convincing. "Interesting. I'm Hermione," she said, sticking her hand forward.

"Emmeline," I introduced as I shook her hand. "What year are you?"

"I'm just one year above you," she said distractedly as she looked around. "I was going to introduce you to my friends, but I can't seem to- ah! There they are," she said as she grabbed my hand and dragged me along through the crowd. When we stopped abruptly, she waved her hand at two boys. "Emmeline, meet Ron Weasley and Harry Potter," she said proudly.

Upon hearing the dark haired boy's name, I frowned sadly. "Oh, I'm so sorry about your parents, Harry," I said immediately, unable to stop myself from trying to comfort him, even though he looked like he didn't need it. And of course, there goes my Hufflepuff side. I really needed to get better at hiding my different traits.

"It's alright," he said back with a smile. "But thank you, anyway."

At that moment, a boy with chubby cheeks and an interesting set of teeth tripped and fell into Ron. "Neville! What on earth did you bloody trip over?" Ron asked as he helped the other boy, now known to me as Neville, up. The curse that came out of Ron's mouth shocked me, but I tried to act casual about it. Maybe that's what Gryffindors did?

"I'm sorry, Ron. Trevor got away again," Neville said sadly. I smiled at him when he finally took notice of me. "H-Hi," he stuttered awkwardly.

Internally, I smiled to myself, glad that I was meeting a Gryffindor who wasn't bursting with a ridiculous amount of confidence. "Hello, I'm Emmeline Petrova," I greeted, holding out my hand.

He shook it lightly, still looking rather nervous. "Neville Longbottom," he said quickly, face reddening. He suddenly gasped as a toad hopped by. "Trevor! Wait!" he shouted as he took off running.

I suddenly remembered my own pet, Demetrius, who had to be upstairs in his cage meowing sadly. He was just a kitten, after all. "Oh! I need to go check on my kitten," I said as I started for the staircase.

"Can I come?" Hermione asked. "I have a cat, too!"

"Sure," I replied as we headed up the staircase. I felt awkward when I arrived at my room, suddenly realizing that I perhaps shouldn't have told Hermione that she could come along. I whispered my password, and the door swung open.

"Wow, you have your own room?" she asked in awe as we walked in.

I blushed, glad that she couldn't see my face. "Um, yeah…my dad is really good friends with Dumbledore, and did it for me. I tried to tell him no, but he insisted," I lied smoothly as I kneeled down next to the kennel. I took the towel off the top, and Demetrius immediately started to wake up from his nap. He looked up at my lovingly and started to purr as I took him out.

"Aw, he's so cute!" Hermione told me as she stroked the soft grey fur.

"He's just six weeks old," I informed her. "And good timing, too, because kittens can't put their claws away until they're six weeks old. Isn't that right, Demetrius?" I asked him as I scratched his head.

"Huh, I never knew that," she murmured as she continued to pet him.

I once again wanted to hit my head with my hand. I couldn't spit out random facts like a Ravenclaw, now could I? No, not if I was a Gryffindor. "Yeah, my mom told me that," I said, once again lying. I wondered if I should start counting and writing down all the lies I'd told so far.

I actually did after about a week, and this wasn't so easy of a task to keep up with for the next six years. As time went on, more and more lies had to be told about my situation. For instance, if I was a Gryffindor, then why was I so shy? The answer: both my parents were Hufflepuffs and they'd influenced me a bit growing up. My journal of lies grew with each passing day, it seemed, spanning anywhere from the smallest white lie ("Oh, yeah, definitely my favorite colors are red and gold.") or to the biggest web ("Why do I visit the headmaster so much? Funny story, actually. He's actually related to me…yeah my great uncle's step mother's grandson!").

I was bound to mess up eventually, but somehow, my Slytherin side always came to my aid when I most needed it. But these lies came at a cost. As I'd predicted in my first year, I came to be often lonely. Sure, I had my friends, but none of them were very close to me. I could only blame myself, really- I'd kept everyone at a distance on purpose. And besides, the now famous "Golden Trio" had other things to worry about since the war was over. They were all off either becoming Aurors or working in the Ministry. And me? Well, I was just trying to get through year seven without Ginny getting on my nerves too much. Although I'm pretty sure that my reputation as the smartest witch in our year drove her away enough.

And this is where our story really begins: with a girl entangled in her own web of lies, and a world that had just clawed its way out of another.


	2. Not Once

To say that I'd changed a lot since year one would be an understatement. Okay, well, I'd changed a lot physically. Mentally, not so much, but I'll talk about that later. I was rather short at 5'2", but my petite body had developed a surprising amount of curves. My blonde curly hair was no longer a bushy mess, but had been tamed into golden spirals that ran gracefully down my back toward my waist. My hazel eyes still had that weird ability to seemingly change color depending on the lighting and season, though.

I also had acquired a fashionable pair of dark brown glasses. As the years had gone on, my vision had grown worse. The day I blew up my cauldron in potions class was the day that I went to the eye doctor.

But at this present moment, I couldn't have cared less about my appearance. I was just excited to be back at Hogwarts for my last year. I'd already gotten all of my supplies at Diagon Alley and had sat down at the Gryffindor table with a few girls. We chatted harmlessly about what we'd done over summer. When it came time for the sorting ceremony for the first years, I smiled painfully. I'd grown to dread the sorting hat ceremony each year. It only brought back bad memories.

Ten minutes later, once the last first year was seated, new Headmistress McGonagall stepped up. "Today, we begin anew. Even with the war over, we need each other now more than ever. Those who personally served in the war, would you please stand up." I, along with the others in Dumbledore's Army, stood up and were met with a loud round of applause.

After we sat back down, McGonagall continued. "Before the feast begins, I would like to announce our new professors." As she rattled off names, I sat there patiently, clapping when it was appropriate.

"And lastly for Herbology, Professor Neville Longbottom," she announced lastly, to the shock of everyone. I watched fondly as Neville took the last seat at the professors' table. He'd grown to be rather handsome over the summer, I'll admit. But what really caught my attention was his confident smile and posture. I was happy for him- I knew that he was finally doing something that he really liked.

The feast began, and soon enough, everyone was tucking into their food happily while chatting. Seeing as how everyone was busy, I snuck my patronus, a spunky red panda, over to Neville. I watched, amused, as he looked down at it with a confused expression. He then looked up and met my eyes. I waved happily, and he smiled back with a nod.

After the feast, I made my way toward the professors' table, hoping to catch Neville and at least say hello and congratulations. He was turned around talking to one of the other new professors. I tapped lightly him on the shoulder. He turned around and blinked before a smile slowly formed on his face.

"Emmeline! It's good to see you," he said brightly.

"It's good to see you, too, _Professor_," I said teasingly.

He ran a nervous hand through his hair. "Yeah, it kind of came to me as a shock, too. I'm guessing I'll see you in class soon?" he asked as we started to walk out of the hall.

I laughed at this. "I don't think I'm going to be able to take you seriously," I admitted, giving him a wink. "I might start laughing if you give me detention."

Neville smiled at this. "Then just don't do anything worthy of a detention, Miss Petrova," he replied simply, grinning at the unfamiliar use of my last name.

I shrugged, looking up at the ceiling innocently. "Oh, you never know, _Sir_. I might turn into a Slytherin," I said casually. A jolt of panic ran through me when I realized what I'd let slip, but he laughed, thinking that I was joking.

"Yeah, you of all people- a Slytherin," he chuckled. I laughed as well, hoping that it didn't seem too forced. We stopped in front of the staircase, seeing as how he had no need to go up to the Gryffindor Tower.

"See you around," I said as I ran up the stairs to catch up with the other Gryffindors. Neville waved at me before he walked away toward the Herbology office.

Once I got to the commonroom, I found that everyone was scattered about talking and getting to know each other. I managed to squeeze through the crowd to the girl's staircase. I sighed with relief as I came to my room- the same room that I'd lived in for the past six years.

"Solus unus," I said, the door swinging open. Seeing as how no one had guessed my password, I'd never had the need to change it. "Hey, Demetrius," I greeted the large grey cat when he met me at the door. I leaned down and scratched him behind his ears, causing him to purr gratefully. I set to work levitating my clothes and things to their correct areas before I settled down in the sitting area with a book.

The next morning, I woke up early to get ready. My hair in a ponytail and my outfit on, I headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. At my side was a bag with my current favorite book, a few pieces of parchment, and some spare quills and ink pots. I sat alone at breakfast, working on writing a letter to my mum and dad. After breakfast, I took the letter to the owlery and went on my way to potions.

The day went on as usual- speeches about how to behave in class and what to expect in that course. By the end of the day, I was walking by myself around the lake. I settled down under a large tree and took out my lies journal, writing my newest entry.

_Told a few first years that my first sorting hat ceremony was just a rumor. Their names were Hannah, Golyem, and Percy- all Ravenclaws._

I sighed sadly as I put the journal away. I was nearing the end of it, regardless of how thick I continued to make it by using a paper-adding spell. Some days I just wanted to burn it, but I was too afraid to. What if someone found it in the ashes and reformed it? What if I forgot all of the lies I'd told and messed up? At this point, it was far too dangerous for me to burn it. There were too many things that could go wrong. Afterall, I was pretty sure that no one wanted to know that all I did was lie.

On Thursday, I finally saw Neville again. While Herbology had never exactly been my favorite, I now found it rather enjoyable. I and the rest of the seven years that knew him teased him constantly, and he took it all in stride with a large smile. At the end of class, I gave Neville a smile as I left. Before I could walk out the door, though, a small bear cub patronus rubbed up against my leg happily. I smiled down at it, and glanced back at the Professor, knowing that it was his way of saying goodbye.

That night as I sat in front of the fire in my sitting room, I stared at the journal in my hands. I wanted to throw it into the fire and start over. But I couldn't. I just couldn't. Once I got away from Hogwarts, then I could start over. Move somewhere no one knew me, burn the journal, get a job, and live life like a normal person.

Demetrius seemed to sense my sadness, seeing as how he got up onto the armchair and curled up in my lap. I smiled down at him and sighed. Just one more year- then I could start over.

And so life went on. A month into school, I had to once again add more pages to my journal. I sent letters back and forth with my parents. I wrote down possibilities for jobs and places to live after Hogwarts. Classes got harder and harder, but I juggled them with ease.

Nothing new happened until October 12th.

It was just a short while after my Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and I was down at the lake under the tree as usual. My journal out and quill pen ready, I wrote down yet another entry.

_Told the new DADA Professor that I hadn't been studying ahead and practicing outside of class. His name is Professor Jimblery- Hufflepuff._

"What's that?"

I jumped and snapped the journal shut, my heart racing. I sighed in relief when I saw the curious face of Neville. "Oh, just a diary," I lied casually, sticking it into my bag. "What are you doing out here?"

He shrugged. "Just taking a walk in between classes. Year three's are exhausting," he mumbled as I got to my feet.

I laughed at this. "Maybe they're getting wilder with each generation- I don't remember being that hyper when I was their age," I recalled as we began to walk slowly along the lake.

"You've never been hyper, Emmeline," Neville stated as fact.

I shrugged. "True. Except for when I've had too much sugar, but even that hasn't happened since…year four, I think?" I said, making him chuckle.

"I guess you're not a fan of Honeydukes, then?" he asked, casting me a glance.

"Not really, no," I agreed. "Okay, well, I take that back. I like their cauldron cakes," I admitted with a grin.

"Never had one," Neville said with a shrug.

I gasped. "Well then you'd better be going to Hogsmeade this weekend! You can get one then!" I suggested.

"Want to meet outside Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop?" he asked, making me blink in surprise. I'd only been suggesting that he go get a cauldron cake himself, but if he wanted me to go with him, then that would be fine. I would just have to look through my journal to remember what lies I'd told him in case they were brought up.

"Yeah, sure! I have to get back to study, but I'll see you then!" I said quickly, hurrying away back to the castle. I felt guilty for leaving so quickly, but if the conversation had gone on any longer, something bad would have gone wrong, I was sure of it. Right when I got back, I added another entry to my journal.

_Told Neville that this was a diary._

…which, really, isn't a big deal, I guess. It's kind of true, actually, I realized. I scratched it out and began to search through the journal for Neville's name. To my astonishment, I didn't find his name. Which couldn't be right, of course. I must have told him some lie at some point, right? I looked through the journal again. Not once was his name in there.

I leaned back in my armchair in shock. I'd never lied to Neville. The name of every single other person I knew was in there, with the exception of Dumbledore and McGonagall. A feeling of relief swept through me when I realized this. I had someone who knew me for who I was. Someone that I could be honest with. Someone who was kind to me and was my friend and wouldn't judge me.

I suddenly felt a lot better about going to Hogsmeade with Neville.


	3. Breaking a Habit

When that Saturday arrived, I paid special attention to my hair, for some reason. After a long internal argument, I decided to just wear it down. I donned my Gryffindor scarf, a black peacoat over a sweater, jeans, my purse, and boots before I headed out to Hogsmeade. When I arrived at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, I saw Neville waiting in a long, charcoal grey coat. Which…looked really good on him.

He didn't see me as I snuck up behind him and grabbed his shoulders. "Boo!" I shouted, causing him to jump. I laughed loudly at his dubious expression.

"Ha, ha, very funny, Miss Petrova," he grumbled jokingly with an eye roll. I linked my arm with his and pulled him along toward Honeydukes. When we arrived in the crowded sweet shop, I tugged him over to the cauldron cakes.

"Don't they look delicious?" I asked as I held one up. In the spirit of Halloween, they had orange frosting on top and bat sprinkles.

"It looks very sugary," Neville said simply.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Which is why they're wonderful. And they're super chocolatey, too." He didn't seem totally convinced. I shook my head, amused, and took the cake up to the counter to purchase it. He met me outside, and we then went to the Three Broomsticks. Once we were seated beside each other in a corner booth, I opened up the package and set it in front of him expectantly.

He glanced back and forth between me and the cake. "You're not going to let me leave until I eat this, are you?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Nope. Unless my presence really is that revolting, and in that case, by all means, save yourself and leave," I replied teasingly.

To my surprise, he blushed slightly. "Your presence isn't revolting, Emmeline," he mumbled as he stared down at his mug of butterbeer. He looked up at me. "You're probably one of the nicest people I know."

I suddenly felt really uncomfortable with this compliment. It wasn't that I minded the compliment- it was really sweet of him to say something like that. But in the light of all of my lies, hearing someone say something so nice seemed like a joke. A prank, if you will. As if to say "ha! you wish someone would say something so nice to you!".

"Thank you, Neville," I finally said, a blush on my face. I cleared my throat and handed him a fork. "Now stop procrastinating and take a bite!" I prodded, hoping that my teasing tone would make the awkwardness go away.

He grinned and accepted the fork. The moment his forkful of cake went into his mouth, his eyes lit up. "That's really good!" he mumbled, covering up his mouth with his hand.

I laughed at his excitement. "I told you!" I said, digging my fork in as well. We took turns going back and forth taking bites out of the cauldron cake as I explained happily in detail why it was so good. "The cake itself isn't dry or weighed down because of unneeded flour. And the frosting isn't overly sweet, either, so it's not sickeningly sweet, you know?"

He laughed at my enthusiasm. "I've never heard someone talk about cake so much before."

I blushed and shrugged. "My mom and I used to bake at home all the time. I guess you could call it a hobby," I explained. Why I didn't lie at that moment, I'll never know. It would have been simple, really. Say that my mom was a baker, or that my uncle invented the cauldron cake. Lying about even the most unimportant things had become habit at that point. So why didn't I lie to Neville?

"So how's it going being a professor?" I asked him after all the cake was gone. We'd fallen into easy conversation about classes and such.

"It's better than I expected, if I'm honest," he admitted as he rested his elbows casually on the table. "I was expecting that I would get in there and not have a clue as to what to do, but it's all coming rather naturally."

I smiled fondly at him. "Well, you always did help everyone else with herbology homework. Now it's like teaching on a larger scale," I said, making him nod in agreement.

"So what about you? How have you been lately?" Neville asked curiously.

I bit down on my lip. What should I say? Oh, you know, just been lying my way through life as usual and still trying to get used to having no friends. Finally, I simply shrugged. "I've been…okay, I guess. I don't really have many friends nowadays, so it's been kind of lonely," I admitted, trying to not take notice of the pitying look he gave me.

"Do…do I count as a friend?" he asked curiously, making me grin.

"Yes, Neville, you count as a friend," I giggled. I leaned against my arm on the table, taking a moment to look into his eyes. "You're probably the closest friend I've got at the moment."

He frowned at that. "Why's that?" he questioned.

I hesitated. Because you're the only friend I haven't lied to. That's what I wanted to say, but I couldn't. "I guess I just have a habit of pushing people away before they get too close," I murmured softly.

He glanced down at the table for a moment before he looked back at me. "Well maybe I can help you break that habit," he suggested kindly. "I'd rather not be the next friend you push away."

I smiled sadly at his words, looking down bashfully at my mug of butterbeer. "Yeah, I don't really want to push anyone else away, either." My eyes met his again, and silence seemed to take hold for a few moments. It wasn't uncomfortable, either- it was just silence. Soothing and calming silence.

After a while, Neville cleared his throat nervously. "So, um, what exactly can I do to help?" he offered.

I blinked, suddenly feeling as if I'd been brought back to the real world. "Oh, um…" I trailed off, unsure of what I should say. I sighed, figuring that it'd be best to be honest with him. "Do you remember my sorting hat ceremony?" I asked, my heart racing. I felt so nervous about talking about it. He nodded, silently telling me to go on.

I took in a deep breath. "Well, um…it's a bit complicated, really," I started. And thus, I began to explain to him what really happened. How the sorting hat was unable to place me in a house, the conversation with Dumbledore and McGonagall, why I had a private room all these years, and why I had distanced myself from everyone. By the end of the conversation, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

Neville, who'd listened attentively throughout the entire story, now picked up the journal, which I'd set down on the table to show him. "All the lies you've ever told for six years…are in here?" he finally said, picking up the journal. I nodded, and he looked horrified. "You should get rid of it, Emmeline! It must make you feel awful!"

I smiled sadly. "I can't get rid of it, Neville. What if someone found it, or if I messed up and said the wrong thing to the wrong person?" I asked rhetorically. His frown deepened as he listened to me.

"Emmeline…" he started hesitantly. He shook his head at himself, and, deciding that words were useless at this point, pulled me into a hug.

I welcomed the hug, breathing in deeply and exhaling. He smelled like dirt on a Summer's day, freshly grown grass of Spring, cool air of a Fall evening, and spicy mint of Winter. "Are hugs between professors and students allowed?" I joked feebly as I stayed in his warm embrace.

He chuckled, the sound vibrating wonderfully through his chest and into my ear. "I think that in this case, yes," he murmured in my ear. I could've fallen asleep right then in that very spot. I was completely content, warm, and comfy in his arms. But all too soon, he let me go.

"Feel better?" he asked, cheeks tinged pink.

I nodded shyly. "Yeah, lots. Thank you for listening, Neville."

"You'd listen to me if our roles were reversed," he reminded me.

I smiled at this. "I don't know- I don't think I could listen to you ramble on for as long as I did," I teased, making him laugh. He picked up the journal and looked at it speculatively.

"Emmeline, I want to do something for you," he said suddenly, not looking away from the journal. I stayed silent, sensing that he was going to continue. "Let me keep this journal. You don't need to carry it around with you anymore," he decided, looking up at me.

Out of all the things I thought he may have said, that wasn't one of them. My eyes were wide with surprise, shock, and fear. Surprise and shock at his offer, but fear at the prospect of someone other than myself being in possession of the book that held all of my secrets.

"I won't read it," he promised. "I won't let anyone else see it. No one will know where it is. And I won't get rid of it unless you specifically ask me to," he said, seeing the fear in my eyes. I gulped and blinked again before nodding shakily.

Neville smiled at me grandly. "Come on- let's go do something before you start to rethink your decision," he said, getting up from the table. I followed after him in a daze, letting him link our arms together. It didn't take long before I was back in the real world, smiling and chatting with him as we wandered through the large bookstore of Hogsmeade.

When we were far back in one particular section, Neville cleared his throat, making me look up from the book I'd pulled out. "It's funny, now…I can see it all. All of the different traits," he clarified.

I gave him a confused look. "How so?"

He tilted his head at me, giving me a look that I couldn't quite figure out. "Well, you're smart like a Ravenclaw, which is why you're the smartest witch in your year," he stated, making me turn away and blush. "You fought in Dumbledore's Army like a true Gryffindor, even when a Death Eater tried to kill you. You're shy and sweet like a Hufflepuff, and-"

"I lie like a Slytherin," I finished.

"That's not the only thing that Slytherins are," he said, matching my frown.

I sighed, placing my book back on the shelf. "Yes, but it does seem to be the Slytherin trait that I have the most of," I pointed out, turning back toward him. He looked upset. Not at me, but for me. Our eyes stayed connected for a while, both trying to silently prove our point. Eventually, I turned and started to walk away with a sigh, figuring that I wouldn't be able to convince him.

"Slytherins are also leaders," he called out, making me turn around. "And resourceful, and clever," he listed as he stepped closer and closer. "And determined," he finished, now hardly six inches from me. "And you're definitely all of those, too. Maybe you're just determined about the wrong thing- trying to keep your secrets. But now you can be determined about something else- you can be determined about fixing your mistakes."

At this point, I felt like I could hardly breath. The way he was staring into my eyes left me without words. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. I was completely bewitched.

It was that moment when I started to wonder. About what? About Neville. Which was very confusing because I'd never been curious about someone the way I was about him. That night, though, I found myself falling asleep to the memory of being wrapped safely in his arms.


	4. In Synch

When I woke up the next morning, I had a quick jolt of panic when I realized that my journal wasn't in my possession. I forced myself to take a deep, calming breath. Neville had it. Sweet, listening, Neville who gave the warmest of hugs and smelled absolutely wonderful.

…I'm not sure where those last two things came from… regardless, I could trust him. That was the important thing.

Seeing as how it was Sunday, I took my time in waking up. When I finally did get out of bed, I took a shower and loosely french braided my hair. I tried to not let my mind stray to the previous day too much, seeing as how every time I thought about it, I got a tingly feeling all around my body.

After the bookstore, we'd simply walked around and enjoyed each other's company. When we arrived back at Hogwarts, he'd given me yet another one of his sleep-inducing hugs before we said goodbye. I'm pretty sure that everyone Griffyndor noticed the dreamy smile on my face when I walked through the commonroom to the staircase.

I went down to the Great Hall with a nervous feeling in my stomach. I wasn't nervous at the high probability of seeing Neville, no…not at all. Why should I be? It turned out that I had nothing to fear, for Neville's seat at the professor's table was empty. I frowned at this as I ate my breakfast, ignoring the chattering girls around me. Where was he?

"We're going to go watch the boys practice Quidditch. Wanna join?" Ginny asked me as she and a few girls stood up from the table.

I shook my head, putting on my most convincing smile. "I'm good- I've got a lot of studying to do, anyway."

A few of the girls shared a look, but Ginny smiled hesitantly back. "Oh, okay. Well, if you get done early, you know where to find us…" she trailed off as they walked away.

I frowned as soon as their backs turned around. I appreciated how they were trying to talk to me, I really did, but it just wasn't working. Besides, I didn't want to sit there for hours drooling over boys playing Quidditch like the other girls.

Instead, I headed to the Herbology office to see if Neville was around. When I peaked inside, I saw a note on his desk.

_ I am in the greenhouses if I am needed. _

_ -Professor Neville_

I put the note back down on the desk and headed straight to the greenhouses. When I walked into the muggy environment, I found Neville holding what I recognized from year two as fluxweed.

"Getting ready for tomorrow's lesson?" I asked, making him look up.

"Yeah…" he trailed off, writing something down on a piece of parchment.

"And did you perhaps forget to eat this morning, Professor?" I questioned.

He stilled and looked up at me. "What time is it?" he asked, looking rather confused.

I giggled at this. "It's past ten, Neville. How long have you been here?"

He groaned, slumping down in a nearby chair. "Five hours," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes tiredly. I shook my head at him, walking over to the chair and pulling him up from it.

"Come on, mister. Let's get you something to eat, and then maybe a nap," I said as I lead him out of the greenhouse. He didn't fight back- he just let me drag him along. We walked along through the hallways toward his office. When we got there, he practically fell down into his desk chair.

I conjured up a pot of tea and some toast. "You can't overwork yourself, Neville," I chastised gently as I handed him a cup of tea. He mumbled back something along the lines of "yes I can" before he started to sip on his tea. I sat back and watched as he slowly woke up with each sip.

"I skipped breakfast," he said suddenly. I slid the plate of toast toward him, and he hardly had time to say thank you before he started to stuff it into his mouth. I watched, amused, as he ate in a way similar to Ron Weasley when he hadn't eaten all day. Suddenly, he seemed embarrassed.

"Sorry, I don't usually eat that messily," he apologized, cheeks tinged red.

I giggled to myself. "It's fine. It's not like I'm one of your first years. That would've been bad," I said jokingly.

"Still my student," he muttered mostly to himself, once again looking tired.

I smiled softly at him. "I'm your friend before your student, Neville. So as your friend, would you like to tell me why you were up so early?"

Neville sighed tiredly. "I remembered that I needed to make lesson plans."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "At five in the morning?" He gave a bashful nod, running his hand through his hair. He looked like he was about to fall asleep just sitting there. "Come on, sleepy head," I said softly as I pulled him up out of his chair. "Let's get you to bed." He stumbled along beside me, giving me directions when needed. Luckily, there were few people around to see him in his embarrassing state, and those that did see him only expressed concern.

When we arrived at his door, I shook his shoulder gently. "Neville, you need to say the password."

"_Locus somniantis_," he mumbled sleepily. The door creaked open, and I saw (not to my surprise) a vast amount of plants scattered around his room. It was designed rather similarly to my own, but of course was bigger since he was a professor. I helped him stumble over to his bed, which he promptly fell down on. By the time I was done removing his shoes and covering him up with the blankets, he was asleep. I slipped away, softly giggling to myself about the translation of his password, "place of the dreamer".

Just a few hours later at lunch, I watched when he walked in hurriedly to sit down at the professor's table. He seemed like he could still use some sleep, but he looked better than before. He caught my eyes and smiled at me as his thank you. I smiled back before I turned back toward my plate.

The rest of the day I spent in my sitting room in front of the fireplace. Demetrius walked through the obstacle course of textbooks that surrounded me on the floor. I read ahead for the millionth time in my DADA book, knowing that having a head start on new spells always helped. I suddenly heard a loud bang on my window, making me jump.

I went over to the window and opened it, seeing a dizzy looking owl holding two notes. I accepted them and gave the owl a small treat before it flew off happily. I smiled at the notes as I read over the address. One of them was from Hermione, and the other one…wasn't addressed. I hummed at this. Odd. Usually an owl wouldn't deliver a note without a name from the sender. Unless it was given directly to the owl form the sender…that made sense, I supposed.

I opened the one from Hermione first, reading over how she and Ron were having their first fight as a couple and how things at the Ministry were. I put it on my bedside table as a reminder to write back. Curiosity took over as I stared at the other note. All it had on the front was my name written in hurried cursive. I opened it and looked at the bottom of the note, my body tingling when I saw the name.

_Dear Emmeline, _

_ Thank you for taking care of me this morning. I have a bad habit of not being able to sleep at night when something's on my mind, which is why I was up so early this morning. I have already hidden your journal where no one will find it. If you want, I'll be up in the Astronomy Tower tonight at nine. Meet me there? _

_ -Neville_

I bit my lip nervously, feeling my heart flutter unexpectedly. If someone had told me just a week ago that Neville Longbottom was capable of making me feel this way, I would've rolled my eyes and laughed.

The hours ticked by slowly as I waited for nine. I tried to pass the time studying, but I couldn't concentrate on whatever the textbooks were trying to tell me. And then when dinner came around, I was constantly blushing because of the way Neville and I's eyes kept meeting.

That night, when I climbed up to the astronomy tower, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of giddiness and nervousness. When I finally reached the top step, I saw Neville there, looking up at the stars. He heard me and turned around, a soft smile forming on his face.

"Hey," he greeted as I walked over toward him. I leaned against the cool stone, feeling the wind of the night rush past my face and into my hair.

"Hello," I said back, a smile on my face.

And for a moment, we simply stared at each other. Time slowed down as he took a cautious step toward me. The large height difference between us suddenly struck me. I watched as his hands came forward and tangled themselves in my hair. I leaned forward up onto my toes, my hands coming up to rest on his shoulders at his neck. Both of our eyes were shutting slowly, as if in synch. And then, our lips met.

And it was the most wonderful thing I'd ever experienced.

It was slow, gentle, and sweet. One of his hands left my hair and went to my back, pulling me closer to him. I reached up and linked my hands behind his head, lightly stroking the hair at the base of his neck. When we parted, we both let out a happy sigh.

I bit down on my lip, feeling a quip rising up in the back of my throat. "I suppose that's not allowed between professors and students, hm?"

He chuckled, making me melt completely. "No, but I think we can make an exception." And with that, he leaned forward and kissed me once more. The rest of the night, we sat on the Astronomy Tower in each other's arms, completely and utterly content in the silence.


	5. Locked Door

The next morning when I was on my way to the Great Hall for breakfast, I caught sight of Neville. I blushed immediately, thinking about our kiss on top of the Astronomy Tower the previous night. Neville caught sight of me and smiled broadly. I saw that he started to move forward, but hesitated. We were no longer alone in the moonlight- we were in the midst of a crowd of students. And he was my professor.

And thus began our game.

"Hello, Professor," I greeted formally with the slightest of grins. I'm pretty sure that my eyes carried a mischievous look.

He bit down on his bottom lip to stop a remark from slipping out. "Miss Petrova," he replied smoothly, sneaking in a tiny wink. I giggled to myself as I walked away, acting as if nothing had happened.

I went through my classes as usual, my mind often drifting to the previous night. I hoped that it wasn't too obvious, but by the looks I was getting and the whispers I overheard, it was.

"What's she so happy about?"

"I don't know…she looks like she's not even paying attention."

"Yeah, that's a first!"

I ignored them as best I could, resisting the urge to turn around and tell them to shut up. 'Calm down there, Slytherin,' I told myself. I then realized that was the first time since Saturday that I'd thought about my little…problem, if you could call it such. Maybe Neville's idea of taking the journal away was working.

"Miss Petrova!" Professor Jimblery, the latest DADA professor, called. I tried to not jump out of my seat. "Would you mind demonstrating your patronus for the class?"

"Not at all, Professor," I said as I stood up and made my way to the front of the classroom. I shut my eyes and concentrated on my happiest memory. But I found that my favorite memory (which was of my family at the beach when I was little) had since been replaced. Instead, my mind replayed Neville and I's kiss on the Astronomy Tower.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" I shouted, my eyes still shut. To my utter shock, I heard a large bang, followed by a scream. My eyes flew open.

"W-Well done, Miss Petrova!" the professor stuttered, shakily putting his glasses back on his face. I saw the awed faces of the students, as well as a few that looked slightly frightened at the powerful patronus that I had just produced. "A round of applause to our veteran, class," Professor Jimblery said, and everyone clapped as I stood there in a daze. I blinked, coming out of my daze, and made my way back to my seat.

Now the whispers had changed.

"Wow, I'd never seen a patronus that powerful before!"

"How do you think she did it?"

"She's fought in Dumbledore's Army, duh!"

"I bet she took extra classes to learn that!"

"Maybe she just has a really happy memory?"

"No, it had to be something else!"

I once again ignored them as best I could as the class continued. Right when the class was dismissed, I made my way to the Herbology office. I knocked on the door, knowing that I couldn't just walk in as if I owned the place. It would look wrong.

"Come in," his voice called dully, making me grin to myself. I opened up the door, and he smiled right when his eyes met mine. "What are you doing here, Miss Petrova?" he asked comically.

I leaned casually against the doorframe. "Oh, I was just bored and thought that maybe you'd like to chat, but if you're busy, then-"

"Oh no, I'm not busy!" he called as I began to turn to leave. I laughed and shut the door on my way in. I sat down in one of the chairs that sat in front of his desk and gave him a speculative look.

"You skipped lunch today, mister," I stated, crossing my arms.

He sighed, as if he'd been expecting this. "I got caught up grading papers, and-"

"And you forgot that you are a human being who needs food to survive?" I finished for him.

Neville looked bashful at getting caught. "…perhaps." I laughed to myself, flicking my wand and conjuring a bowl of his favorite soup right in front of him. "You're going to get really good at that spell," he commented as he took a sip of the hot soup.

"Well someone has to look after you," I said with a shrug. "I could practically conjure food in my sleep." I chatted idly as he ate his soup, talking about my classes and how they were going. When I got to my Dark Arts class, though, I stopped suddenly.

He tilted his head at me. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" he asked, expression concerned.

I waved my hand casually. "Oh, I just happened to cast an usually powerful patronus today. Care to imagine how that could have involved you?" I asked sarcastically, hoping that he wouldn't notice the growing blush on my face.

The look of confusion on his face was soon covered up by realization, and I ducked my head to look down at my lap. My face felt like it was burning at such an admission. Stupid patronus charm. Why did it have to involve something so personal like a memory? I heard Neville get up out of his chair, but I refused to look up at him, my blush still flaming on my face. He knelt down in front of me and took my face in his hands ever so gently.

"You're adorable when you do that," he told me, eyes never leaving mine.

I tilted my head in confusion. "When I do what?" I asked.

"When you blush and get all embarrassed," he clarified, a soft smile gracing his lips.

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. Being the center of someone's attention was still a foreign concept for me. "Look who's talking," I mumbled sarcastically. Neville merely chuckled and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"I'm honored to be a part of your patronus memory," he told me, honesty shining through his eyes.

I could feel the burn of my blush dying down at these words. There was nothing to be embarrassed about- he didn't mind. In fact, he _liked_ being in my favorite memory. I smiled bashfully at this realization, daring to lean forward and kiss his cheek.

"Good. Although I may not use it again- I think I frightened a few people," I teased with a laugh.

He shrugged as he stood up and pulled me up with him. "You _are_ a veteran, Emmeline. You have the real life experience that others don't," he pointed out as he gently took my left hand and placed it on his shoulder. He then grasped the other one lightly and put his other hand on my waist, beginning to sway us back and forth.

"What are you doing?" I giggled as he started to hum softly.

"Dancing?" he suggested, making me laugh loudly. I giggled even more when he attempted to spin me around. We only wound up tangled in a mess of arms, making both of us laugh. "Or trying to, at least," he corrected.

I shook my head, completely amused. A strong sense of adoration came over me as I took in his smile and bright eyes as he laughed. I untangled myself from his arms and placed his hands on my waist. I linked my arms around his neck and placed my head on his chest.

"Better?" I murmured. I felt him nod and nuzzle his nose into my hair. He started to hum a random tune that I couldn't quite place, the low tones vibrating through his chest and making me melt in his arms. We swayed back and forth slowly, and at one point I think I heard him murmur a charm to lock the door.

After a while, I think he noticed how I sighed softly and nuzzled my nose into his chest. "Are you falling asleep on me, Miss Petrova?" he asked with a low chuckle. This only made me sleepier.

"Mhmm," I hummed. "It's your fault…you're all warm and comfy," I mumbled, not even blushing when I let this information slip.

He took his chin off the top of my head and looked down at me. "I do believe it's time for dinner," he reminded me softly, making me groan. "And then you can go sleep."

"I'm gonna fall asleep eating," I grumbled as I unwound myself from his arms. We froze when our eyes met, both leaning forward at the same time. The kiss lasted only a few seconds, but it was a wonderful few seconds.

"Good thing you locked the door," I teased when we separated. He blushed only slightly at this, running a hand through his hair.

"Well I didn't want some random first year walking in on us…" he grumbled as he put on his extravagant professor robe.

I walked up to him and gave him another peck on the lips as I hooked together the attachment at the top of the robe. "Didn't want your romantic moment to be ruined?" I asked with a grin.

"Not really," he agreed. He flicked his wand, unlocking the door for me. "I'll wait just a few minutes," he said, a look of understanding passing through our eyes. Right. Back into the game.

"Alright, _Professor_," I said with a wink before I left.


	6. Worst Ball Ever

And so went on our little game. When around everyone else, we acted as if we hardly knew each other. When alone, though, Neville was as sweet and understanding as could be. As the days, weeks, and months passed, I soon forgot all about my journal of lies.

"Attention, attention," McGonagall called out from her podium in the Great Hall. All around were decorations for Christmas, making the air seem a little more excited than usual. "Since the war is now over, I have decided to start a new tradition. Many of you older students will remember the Yule Ball-" she said, whispers erupting among the students. "Similarly, we will have a ball before Christmas break on the fifteenth. Only fourth year students and up are allowed. And one final detail-" she smiled with a twinkle in her eye. "This is a masquerade ball."

I dared to glance over at Neville to take in his expression. His eyebrows were raised in surprise. He must have felt my stare, because he looked over at me in a way that read "well…this should be interesting". I nodded in agreement before I went back to my breakfast.

The fifteenth was just two weeks away, which really didn't leave much time for me to prepare. I half wished that the ball was after Christmas so that I could shop for a dress while at home. No such luck, though, so I'd have to figure out something quick.

Soon enough, the floo powder that I'd asked my mum to send arrived, and I was on my way home on a boring Sunday afternoon. "I'm so glad you could come home!" my mom greeted me with a hug. "And I'm so excited to meet this Neville you've been telling me about! He is coming here for Christmas, isn't he?" she asked excitedly.

I blushed slightly. "I haven't asked him yet, mum. I just want to get this ball out of the way, first."

My mum nodded understandingly. "Well then, we haven't a minute to lose! Your sister is meeting us out at the shops, so let's go!" she said as she shooed me out the door. Dressed in muggle clothes, we went about London in all of the shops we could find before we settled on a dress and pair of heels. All that was left was the mask, which- thankfully- we were able to find at a high-end boutique.

"You_ are_ going with Neville, right?" my sister asked.

I shook my head. "It's a masquerade ball. The whole point is to not know anyone, hence the masks," I said as I held up the shopping bag holding my mask. "And besides, I'm sure I'll be able to find him."

"Good luck with that one," my sister snorted, ever the optimist.

When I flooed back into my room at Hogwarts, I immediately put my dress and things into my closet and then ran to meet Neville down by the lake as we had planned. If only I'd realized that I was still wearing my very muggle looking clothes.

"What…?" he asked, taking in my outfit when I arrived at our meeting spot.

I paused and looked down at my clothes. "Oh…I, um…may have sneaked out to go dress shopping with my mum," I admitted as I took his hand and started walking along the lake.

Neville simply laughed at this. "For the ball, I'm guessing?" I nodded. "Do I perhaps get to know what said dress looks like?"

"Nope!" I giggled, leaning my head against his shoulder. "I'm keeping it a secret. Good luck finding me in the crowds!" I teased.

He smiled at this. "As if I could ever mix you up with another girl."

When the night came, however, I was completely terrified. Sure, I had my hair twisted and styled in an elaborate way, and sure I was wearing an elegant gold gown with black lace over top and black heels, but none of this made me feel any more confident than a usual day. Okay, well, maybe it did just a little. My only real concern was being able to find Neville. With a sigh, I slipped my black and gold mask over my eyes (which, thank goodness, had contacts in them so I could see) before I made my way down to the Great Hall.

As soon as I entered the busy hall, I knew I was in trouble. Masks passed by me left and right, leaving me wondering if that could have been him. By the time the dancing had commenced, I still hadn't found Neville, but had instead been swept up by a cocky Slytherin who wouldn't leave me alone.

He cast me yet another (what he thought to be) charming smile. "You know, maybe after this, we could go back and-"

"Not a chance," I cut him off, glad that the song had finally ended. I made my way over toward the punch bowl, glad to be away from whoever that had been. It seemed as if everyone single guy had suddenly taken notice of me, though, seeing as how moments later a Hufflepuff came up to me.

"H-Hello, um, would you like to dance?" he asked shyly. I smiled at him, unable to break the poor boy's heart. He stumbled along through the song as I tried to lead him in the basic steps of a waltz, but his genuine smile at the end of it had been worth my toes getting stepped on a few times.

And so the night continued- Ravenclaws, Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Slytherins alike all came and asked me to dance. And it occurred to me perhaps why McGonagall had set this up- to show that our houses aren't what completely defines us.

But by the time the last song had come, I had yet to find Neville. I tried to look over the crowd, but all I saw were masks. So instead of my handsome Gryffindor, I danced the last song with a kind Ravenclaw. As I tried to smile convincingly at him, I felt my heart break. This night had not gone in the slightest to what I had hoped.

After a quick goodbye (hoping to avoid getting asked on a date that I would inevitably say no to), I walked out of the hall before anyone could say another word to me. The next day I would be leaving for Christmas, anyway. For some odd reason, though, I found myself wanting to go to the Astronomy Tower. Against my better judgement, I was soon climbing the staircase to the top of the tower.

I rubbed my arms up and down when I felt the cold Winter wind fly past me. I leaned against the edge of the stone walls and sighed, gazing up at the starry sky. If only I had seen Neville- even for just two seconds- it would have made all the difference in the world. Minutes of silence passed, and finally, I decided to head back to my room.

Right when I turned around, though, I was met with Neville.

He stood there, mask in hand and regret in his eyes. "Emmeline…" he breathed, stepping toward me and shaking his head. "I'm so sorry, I looked everywhere for you," he apologized, taking my hands in his. I smiled weakly back at him. He leaned down and kissed my lips softly. "You look beautiful," he whispered when we'd parted.

I sighed, wrapping my arms around his neck and falling into his embrace. "I can't tell you how many people I had to dance with tonight," I mumbled, frustrated. "It was awful."

"Well I'm sure that you had many offers in that dress," he chuckled warmly, making me smile. He leaned back from our embrace to look me in the eyes. "Can we just agree that that was the worst ball ever?"

I laughed outright at this. "Yes," I agreed fully, nodding my head into his chest. A few peaceful moments passed as we stood comfortably in each other's arms. I could hear him take in a sharp breath as if he was about to say something, but he then stopped. I took my head off his chest to look into his eyes. He looked nervous- something that he hadn't been around me in a long while. "What is it?" I asked with concern.

Neville's eyes met mine, and I knew that whatever he was about to say was going to be important. "Emmeline, that was absolutely the worst formal event I have ever attended," he stated firmly. "And I didn't even get to dance with you once, so I don't know why I'm saying this now, but I love you," he told me, eyes softening as he looked at me. "And I am honored by the fact that you even want to be in my presence, let alone be with me. And I apologize for not finding you this evening and saying this in a much more romantic setting, but-"

I cut him off with a hasty kiss. "I love you, too," I breathed. "And this is definitely more romantic just the two of us rather than an entire room full of people," I giggled, making him grin.

"I'm glad you think so," he whispered as he went in for another kiss.


	7. Letters and Presents

The next morning Neville and I stood in the front entrance of Hogwarts, snow clouds drifting ominously above. Almost everyone else was already on their way to the train station, allowing us to have a proper goodbye. His arms were wrapped tightly around me, as if he thought that he could keep me there.

"Sure you don't want to come to my house? That would a lot more fun than staying here and grading papers," I said, half joking half serious.

He smiled sadly at me. "Do I want to? Yes. Can I? No." I sighed at this, nodding my head in agreement.

"Send me an owl, okay?" I requested as I picked up my bags and the crate that held Demetrius.

"I will!" he shouted as I walked away. I turned around to give him a smile, wishing that I could stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. But no, I kept going on my way to the train home. Many hours passed during the journey, leaving me to think about what could have happened if I'd stayed. We could have spent Christmas together and New Year's Eve. And it could have been terribly romantic and beautiful and…I let out a large sigh, ignoring the odd look that Ginny gave me from across the train compartment.

Arriving home was wonderful, though. "Emmeline!" my mum shouted gleefully when I knocked on the door. "I thought that your brother was supposed to pick you up at the station?" she asked, making me shrug.

"I didn't seem him. Knowing Oliver, he probably forgot," I said, referring to my twenty seven year old brother. My mum nodded in agreement as I stepped inside our house. My sister, Cecilia, was seated at the table trying to work a muggle puzzle.

"Having fun?" I asked her as I sat down beside her.

"These are very frustrating," she told me with a frown.

"I thought you Slytherins were capable?" I teased, making her snort.

"Yeah, says the mixed one," she shot back. I blinked at that, suddenly remembering who I was and my journal of lies. I hadn't thought about it in…well, months, now.

I shook my head to get rid the thoughts. "Yeah, true," I replied with a shrug. I was glad that I could be myself around my family, but this was probably because we all belonged to different houses. Cecilia was a Slytherin, Oliver was a Hufflepuff, my father was a Ravenclaw, and my mother was a Gryffindor. It only seemed fitting that I was all of the above combined.

Soon enough, we were all gathered around the table for dinner, chatting. "So why couldn't this man of yours come?" Cecilia asked.

I blushed, feeling a bit uncomfortable talking about Neville and I's relationship in front of my family. "He's busy working, still. He's a professor, remember?"

"Ah, yes, the 'forbidden relationship'," my sister joked.

"Wasn't he the one that killed the final Horcrux?" my father asked, even though he probably already knew the answer. I nodded in response. "I thought I'd heard about that in the newspaper. You must be very proud of him because of that."

I tilted my head, thinking. "Yeah, I am, but that's not all there is to him. He's not just some war hero. He's kind, and sweet, and understanding, and really good with herbology, and-"

"Ugh, sounds sickening," Cecilia grumbled, making me laugh.

"You'll find a Slytherin as cynical as you one day, Cecil," I told her, patting her hand (which she quickly withdrew from my touch). I then turned toward Oliver. "How have things been at the Ministry? Ran into Hermione by chance?"

He cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes, I actually did a few days ago. She seems to be doing very well. And things are going as usual, not too much other than still trying to get back on our feet after the war." I nodded understandingly. Oliver had been working practically nonstop lately.

Before I could ask my father how work was going for him, a letter was dropped through the mail slot. "Odd…" my mum mumbled as I got up to get the letter. "We already got our mail today."

I bent down and picked up the letter, grinning when I saw my name on the front. It was written in a hurried cursive that could only be identified as Neville's handwriting. "That was fast," I giggled to myself.

"Who is it for?" my father inquired.

"Me, from Neville," I told him.

Cecilia groaned loudly. "Ugh, you two are absolutely disgusting," she grumbled, making everyone laugh. After dinner, I went up to my bedroom and opened the letter.

_Dear Emmeline, _

_ I am already completely bored without you. We had a staff meeting today, in which we discussed ways to improve the rules, curriculum, blah blah blah. It was interesting, but I think I only paid attention to about half of it because I kept thinking about what to write to you for my first letter. This isn't much, but I tried, I really did. Do tell your family that I said hello and that I'm sorry I couldn't come. _

_ With Love, _  
><em> Neville<em>

I bit my lip as I read these words, laughing to myself as he talked about his staff meeting. He never had been very fond of those. I immediately sat down at my desk and pulled out a piece of parchment.

And so began our series of letters.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Neville, <em>

_ I'm pretty sure that my sister is glad that you aren't here. She finds the fact that you sent a letter to be absolutely disgusting (can you tell that she's a Slytherin?) and sickeningly sweet. I must say that I didn't expect to receive a letter this soon, but I'm glad that I did. Christmas is going to be rather dull without you, I think. _

_ With More Love, _  
><em> Emmeline<em>

_ P.S. Pay attention to your meetings, mister!_

* * *

><p><em> Dear Emmeline, <em>

_ I didn't even know you had a sister! Did she ever go to Hogwarts with us? (And yes, that definitely sounds like a Slytherin.) I hope that my absence doesn't make your Christmas unhappy, though. I want you to have the loveliest of Christmases. It's only a few weeks, anyway. Soon we'll be back to sneaking about Hogwarts. I have to admit, though, I already miss you quite a lot, even though it has only been a few days. Isn't that pathetic? I keep trying to distract myself with grading papers, but it's not working very well. I'm actually staring at a stack of tests right now as I write this. You have become quite a distraction, Miss Petrova. _

_ With Even More Love, _  
><em> Neville<em>

* * *

><p><em>Dear Neville, <em>

_ Yes, I have an older brother and an older sister. Oliver is ten years older than me, so he was never at Hogwarts with us. Cecilia is five years older, though, so she was there for a bit with us, but since we were in different years and houses, we hardly saw each other. (My family is quite a mixture of houses, actually. It's kind of hilarious.) And trust me, if missing each other is pathetic, then I must be the epitome of pathetic-ness. I love how you blame your inability to grade papers on me. I hope you've been taking care of yourself, sir. Don't make me apparate. _

_ With Even __**More**__ Love, _  
><em> Emmeline <em>

* * *

><p><em>Dear Emmeline, <em>

_ Huh. I wonder why I've never asked about your family before. I feel like I should have. I'm an only child (I think I told you this before), and my father was a Hufflepuff, and my mother was a Gryffindor. It seems that we are just going to have to start a pathetic club, but I'm not sure if we can start it with only two members. And yes, you are most definitely to blame for my inability to grade papers. I have been taking care of myself just, fine, thank you, but a visit would not be unwelcome. _

_ With More Love Than You Could Imagine, _  
><em> Neville<em>

* * *

><p><em>Dear Neville, <em>

_ I'm glad that you're taking care of yourself (but do know that I will know if you're lying to me). As much as I would love to visit you, I'm practically hopping around England visiting family, some of which do not know about magic. So, the possibility of visiting you is very small. Only twelve more days until I'll be back! _

_ With More Love Than Is Humanly Possible,_  
><em> Emmeline<em>

* * *

><p>And so went on the letters until Christmas Day, when I received a small package with a short note on top.<p>

_Dear Emmeline, _

_ Merry Christmas, my love. I'll see you very soon. _

_ Affectionately, _  
><em> Neville<em>

I opened up the package in the silence of my bedroom, away from my family and the others that had come over. I ripped open the brown paper to find a small green satchel. I smiled at it, opening up the drawstring to see if anything was inside. To my surprise, though, it had been expanded quite a bit on the inside. I reached down as far as I could before I touched anything.

Out of the bag, I brought several other smaller packages, each wrapped up individually. "Neville's really making me work for this isn't he…" I muttered under my breath when I pulled the last object out of the abyss. A total of five parcels stared at me from my bed.

I started with the largest one, which was surprisingly light. The note on the front of it said simply "To keep you warm when I'm not there". When I unwrapped it, I found myself staring at a gorgeous deep blue velvet cloak that had a bit of a similar design to Neville's professor's robe. It was accented with elegant black lace around the collar and a lightly swirled pattern throughout the soft velvet. I put it on over my clothes immediately, basking in how warm the material was. Yes, it was most definitely going to keep me warm throughout winter.

The next parcel was shaped rather oddly as if there was something rounded on one end inside. The note on the front read sweetly "To let you explore". I opened it up to find a clear, miniature globe on a bronze stand. I giggled when I saw that I could tap a location and it would zoom in on that area. Over London was a bright red x with the words "You Are Here" above it. I set the globe down onto my comforter softly, not wanting it to break.

I then picked up a very small package- the smallest of them all, actually. To my surprise, there wasn't a note. I frowned as I opened the package, curious as to what could be inside. When the paper was gone, I was left with a little red box in my hand. I opened it hesitantly, my heart melting when I saw what was inside. A golden locket in the shape of a heart stared at me, glittering in the light coming in from my window. I took it out of the box immediately and opened it. A little piece of paper fell out of the locket, reading "To keep my heart with yours everywhere you go". For some reason, I felt tears welling up in my eyes as I put the locket around my neck.

Wiping a stray tear away, I picked up the second to last parcel and read the note on top. "To write truth instead of lies" it read. I tilted my head at these words, rather confused. Regardless, I opened up what was the lightest and flattest package of them all. Inside was a quill pen laid delicately in a silver and wood case. I popped upon the case and felt the soft, pure white feather, still wondering what his words meant.

Lastly, I picked up a package that had an oddly familiar weight and size. On the front were the words "To do with whatever you wish". When I opened it up, my heart stopped. My journal of lies stared back at me. I picked it up slowly, unsure of how I felt about it. The note on the front of the package played again and again in my head. Unable to decide what to do with it, I put it away in my bag to take back to Neville to talk with him about it.

I sighed happily, all of my beautiful presents staring back at me. I could only hope that Neville liked his presents as much as I loved mine.

* * *

><p>Neville sat in his office staring at the delicately wrapped package that laid in front of him on his desk. He knew it had to be from Emmeline- only she would take the sweet time to wrap something so perfectly. He took the paper off with great care, and found himself left with a plain brown box.<p>

Inside the box was a collection of things. First was a vial of Dreamless Sleep potion, which made Neville smile softly at her thoughtfulness. She knew that he still had nightmares of the war. Next was a dark green and black scarf that he knew was designed to go with his professor's robe. He then saw a letter, but decided to put it off to the side to read it after he saw all the presents.

After the note, he pulled out a set of two wood and gold muggle pens that contained red ink, which made Neville smile. He had talked about them a while back and how they would make grading a lot easier rather than using a quill and having to go back and forth between the parchment and the ink pot. Next to the pens was a curious little bronze box. Upon opening it, he found a little golden pin in the shape of an eight-pointed star. Finally, he picked up the note, reveling in the fact that it smelled exactly like Emmeline- floral with a hint of vanilla.

_Dear Neville, _

_ Each one of these gifts has a meaning. The Dreamless Sleep is probably fairly obvious, but it is to help you with your nightmares. The scarf is simply because it's getting cold outside, and I don't want you to get sick. The pens, of course, are to help you grade your papers faster. And finally, the pin is in the shape of the star as a reminder of the Astronomy Tower and all the special moments that have taken place there. I can't wait to see you. _

_ Merry Christmas,_  
><em> Emmeline <em>


	8. Old Fashioned

Everyone in the seventh year train compartment noticed my fidgeting. I mean, how could they not? It was completely unusual for me. Oh, and they also noticed my brand new cloak and necklace. I kept the locket tucked under my shirt, but the gold strand that it hung on was still visible, leaving others curious. It was a commonly known fact that I wasn't one for jewelry.

"Emmeline, I just have to ask, where'd you get that cloak?" Ginny finally asked at the request of a few girls who wouldn't stop pointing and whispering.

"It was a gift," I replied with a smile. I could tell that she was thrown off by my large smile, but I simply turned back to looking wistfully out the window. 'Let them talk,' I decided. My body was buzzing when we arrived at Hogwarts a while later. The fact that Neville was so close yet so far away was driving me insane, but I knew that I had to wait until tonight to see him. We'd decided earlier in our letters to meet the night I got back up in the Astronomy Tower at nine. This meant, though, that I had to wait a terribly long five hours to see him.

I spent this time cleaning my slightly dusty bedroom (which hardly took five minutes with a cleaning charm) and placing my gifts on display. Demetrius and I spent some time playing by the fire, and then I did a bit of reading for Dark Arts. Finally, it was at least time for dinner. To my utter dismay, Neville wasn't present. 'Probably off not taking care of himself,' I thought as I sipped on my hot soup. Only two more hours to go.

I found that talking to people was easy at dinner that night. Everyone was curious about my cloak, probably because of the fact that the deep blue color stood out at the red and gold table.

"Oh, yes, I had a lovely Christmas."

"It was a present!"

"Yeah, I have no idea what shop they got it from."

"I guess they thought that blue suited me?"

"Who gave it to me, exactly? Well…let's just say that it was a secret admirer."

Soon enough, dinner was over, and Neville still hadn't arrived. As I exited the the Great Hall, I resisted the urge to go down to his office and make him eat…and then maybe snog him to say hello. The second part of my thoughts I quickly banished from my head. Snogging was for hormonal fifth years who didn't have anything better to do.

So instead I passed the next hour and a half reading through my journal of lies, still trying to decide what to do with it. Ten minutes before nine, I left my room for the Astronomy Tower, my cloak flying behind me and my locket rattling against my sweater. The journal of lies was clutched firmly in my hands as I made my way up the staircase to the tower.

My heart stopped when I saw Neville standing there, a look of relief and absolute adoration in his eyes. I didn't even say anything before I ran and threw my arms around his neck, sighing when I felt the familiar warmth of his embrace.

"I missed you," he breathed before he pressed a kiss into my hair.

I let out a shaky sigh. "I missed you, too," I whispered into his chest, tears welling up in my eyes. He must have known, because he leaned down and wiped them away. "Merlin, I really am pathetic," I laughed, making him smile brightly.

"You can be the president of the club, then, okay? And I'll be your advisor," he murmured, causing a giggle to escape my lips. "I see that you're wearing your cloak and necklace," he said softly after a moment of silence.

I took my head off his chest and smiled up at him. "And you look rather handsome with your scarf and pin," I pointed out happily.

Neville shrugged. "Couldn't resist," he said simply with a smile. He nuzzled his nose against mine, making me smile uncontrollably. "Did you know that your notes smell exactly like you?" he mumbled as he pulled me closer to him.

I bit my lip at this, trying to conceal a grin. "I may or may not have sprayed perfume on them," I confessed.

He nuzzled his nose down into my neck, making me shiver. "Were you trying to drive me insane?" he asked softly, breath tickling my skin. I couldn't find words, so I simply nodded. I felt his lips just barely brush up against my skin, and I immediately started wracking my brain to think of something intelligible to say before I found myself snogging him.

"So, um…I brought my journal with me," I mentioned suddenly, causing him to look up at me. I tried to not let a sigh of relief escape my mouth. Having him so close made it so impossible to resist him.

"You did?" Neville asked, and I nodded. "And what did you decide?"

I took in a deep breath. "I think…I'm going to get rid of it. Maybe burn it just so it feels really satisfying," I added on with a laugh.

He smiled and nodded approvingly at this. "May I?" he asked, hand forward asking for the journal. I put it into his hands without hesitation and watched as he set it on the ground. A second after he put it down, it burst into flames.

"Well isn't this romantic," I drawled sarcastically as I watched the slightly depressing scene of the book being burned. Neville just rolled his eyes and pulled me into a kiss. I melted into the kiss as he wrapped his arms firmly around me, holding me as close as he possibly could. My hands rested gently on his chest, playing with the fabric of his robe.

When we separated, I felt dizzy because of the lack of oxygen in my head. Neville's eyes were half-lidded when he leaned down to give me another quick kiss. "I love you," he whispered. My legs seemed to lose all feeling at these words.

And I'm pretty sure that I would have fainted if it hadn't been for the bottom of Neville's robe catching on fire. "_Augumenti_!" we both shouted hurriedly. The fire was put out, and I burst out laughing.

"Looks like you'll always be a little clumsy," I teased with a kiss to his cheek.

He blushed at this. "Yeah, yeah," he mumbled back, making me laugh even more. When he saw that I wouldn't (more like couldn't) stop laughing, he picked me up and spun me around wildly. I giggled even more at this, and when he set me down, he spun me around haphazardly into his arms so that my back was against his chest.

"You need to stop being so adorable, missy," he mumbled into my neck. For the second time that night, I felt an insatiable urge to kiss him run through me. But before I could, his lips brushed over my neck. I shivered at the ghost of a sensation. Unthinkingly, I squirmed out of his arms before he could go any further.

I could tell that he was confused by the look in his eyes as I stood a good two feet away from him, my arms wrapped securely around myself. "S-Sorry, I just, um…" I stuttered, unsure of what to say. "I don't want to, um, you know…" I trailed off, blush flaming on my cheeks. I'd always dreaded the day when this conversation came.

He hesitated before he came over to me and and took my hands in his. A moment of silence passed before he said, "I understand, Emmeline. I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable. I don't want you make you feel pressured or uncertain in any way." I didn't look up into his eyes, still too ashamed and embarrassed. Here I was with in the moonlight with my very attractive boyfriend, and I wasn't jumping at the chance to shag him.

I swallowed before I finally nodded. "Thanks. I guess I'm just a little old fashioned," I added with a forced laugh.

He frowned and pulled me into a hug. "No problem with being old fashioned," he reassured me softly. "Things were a lot simpler back then." I nodded into his chest, mentally sighing in relief. That could have gone a lot worse.

**A/N: And yes, to everyone who was expecting them to go any further, no can do! I don't write that stuff, and this is K+ rated, anyway.**


	9. Observant

Yes, everything was perfect in our little secret world. Our meetings in the Astronomy Tower became a nightly ritual which consisted of simply lying in each other's arms on the stone floor as we recounted the events of the day. During the day, though, we acted as if we hardly knew each other.

Or so we thought.

A year seven Slytherin by the name of Chaurin Winslet was much more observant than we had expected. And one day we slipped up and forgot to lock to door to the Herbology office, which he unexpectedly entered while we shared a rare daylight kiss.

Neville and I, of course, broke apart immediately upon hearing a disgusted gasp. Chaurin slipped away before either of us could get a word out, leaving us there groaning at our misfortune.

* * *

><p>Chaurin practically ran to the Headmistress' office. He <em>knew<em> that there was something between those two! It was obvious, really. The way that they would react if either one of them was in the same room at the same time- they practically gravitated toward each other. And neither one of them seemed to notice how involuntary it was, either!

And don't even get him started on how knowledgable that know-it-all witch had become about Herbology. And he thought that she couldn't become any more insufferable! Now she practically seemed to own the class with the way she spouted out random facts and instructions!

But what really sealed the deal was how Petrova had been acting. Everyone knew that while she had her moments in class, she was otherwise rather reserved and kept to herself. But now, she practically skipped around with that ridiculous smile on her face constantly! The only thing that could make her change so drastically would be that she'd found "love", and seeing as how he never saw her with a fellow student, it had to be someone else.

And here he'd found his answer in the Herbology office kissing their professor. He smirked as he entered the staircase to the Headmistress' office, straightening his back to look as proper as possible. He knew that McGonagall wouldn't listen if he was anything less than respectful.

Chaurin entered the office calmly, head held high. McGonagall looked up from her desk. "Ah, yes, Chaurin, what do you need?" He had to fight back a smirk.

* * *

><p>I leaned back against Neville's desk as I watched him pace back and forth, muttering worriedly under his breath. Unable to watch him suffer anymore, I went up behind him and put my hands gently on his shoulders. "It's gonna be okay," I hummed soothingly as I led him to sit down in a chair. He slumped down in it, and I set to work massaging his very tense shoulders.<p>

"I should've locked the door, should've been more careful," he said a bit louder so that I could hear. He smacked a hand to his forehead out of frustration, and I frowned, wrapping my arms around his neck from behind him.

"Shh…don't worry about it, Neville. Honestly, what's the worst that could happen?" I asked.

He turned his head to look at me. "You could get kicked out. I could be fined with legal charges. You could-"

I came around front to face him and put a finger over his lips. "There is a one year difference between us, Neville. Do you honestly think that the Ministry would make a big fuss over something so silly at a time like this?" I pointed out. He reluctantly nodded in agreement, and I smiled. "I'm sure that it'll all turn out just fine, okay? Now I have a class to get to- I'll see you tonight," I told him with one final kiss before I left.

I had hardly been in my Potions class for twenty minutes when I was called to the Headmistress' office. No one thought much of it, really. I was never one to break the rules.

Oh, if only they knew.

When I entered the office, I saw Neville already sitting there in his professor's robe, looking like he had mustered every ounce of confidence that he could and funneled it into his posture.

"Do come in, Emmeline," McGonagall said when I entered. "Tea?" she offered, holding up a floral pot. I nodded as I climbed the stairs up to her desk. I accepted the cup of tea before I sat down in the chair beside Neville, not daring to look at his face to see if he looked nervous.

"Well," McGonagall said, obviously unsettled as she sat down in her large chair. "I'm sure that you both know why I've called you in here. A certain…_observant_ young man called the growing relationship between you two to my attention. So…" she trailed off, eyes going back and forth between the two of us. "Before I make any sort of decision, I would like to know what you have to say."

At this moment, Neville and I spared a glance at each other. We silently agreed that I would be the one to tell her. "Well…we've known each other since my first year," I began slowly. "And this year, after some, um, realizations, I found that I could trust Neville, and so I told him the truth about my sorting hat ceremony." McGonagall's eyes widened considerably at this, but she nodded for me to continue.

I took in a deep breath and sighed. "After that, it just kind of snowballed. I didn't really have anyone else to talk to, and we just kind of…clicked, I guess," I finished, casting a look at Neville.

He cleared his throat. "We were fully aware that we were breaking a school rule, and so we decided to keep it a secret. How Chaurin found out is beyond me…" he muttered under his breath.

McGonagall laughed slightly at this. "It would seem that he had stocked up quite a bit of evidence, actually. Apparently you two gravitate toward each other without knowing it," she said, making both Nevill and I blush. "If that is all that you have to say, then I will give my part," she spoke with finality. I straightened up in my chair, ready to take whatever punishment she deemed appropriate.

To my surprise, though, she fixed me with a motherly look. "I have known what you have gone through for many years, now, Emmeline. If anything, I am glad that you found someone that you can talk to about it. I personally have no issues with this relationship, seeing as how the age difference between you two is not drastic in the slightest," she pointed out, making me sigh with relief. "But, rules are rules, and they must be followed. I believe that a month of detention with Professor Jimblery would be suitable, yes?" I nodded quickly before she could change her mind.

"Very well then," she said in a dismissive tone as she stood up from her desk. "Back to class with you two." Neville and I stood and took our leave. Before I could go down the staircase, however, McGonagall called out to me. "Oh, and Emmeline?" I turned around, ready to listen.

She grinned, a sly twinkle in her eyes. "Remember to lock the door next time." I blushed, but nodded, before I scurried down the staircase. Neville and I shared a look before we laughed euphorically.

"See? I told you that it'd be alright," I giggled, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.

He rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Right as always, Miss Petrova," he replied teasingly.

We walked together until we had to go our separate ways. I curtsied formally and he bowed, making us both laugh before we went down our respective hallways. When I got back to Potions, I didn't miss the smug look on Chaurin's face. I also didn't miss the whispers that ran wildly throughout the room.

That night at dinner, Ginny kept looking like she was about to say something, but wouldn't. After her fourth attempt, I gave her an irritated look. "Whatever you're going to say, just spit it out already."

She looked shocked that I'd said something, but that shock quickly turned into anger. "Fine, then! What are all these rumors going around that you're in a relationship with a professor?" she hissed angrily.

I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling. "Uh, the truth? I'm not going to deny it if that's what you were hoping for," I muttered under my breath.

She gaped at me. "I cannot **believe** you!" she shouted. At this point, some of the Gryffindors around us were staring at us. "What are you thinking? You know it's against the rules-"

"Obviously," I cut in, to her blatant annoyance.

Ginny glared at me. "I _thought_ you were smarter than that."

I laughed loudly at that. "What, you think I'm snogging someone thirty years older than me or something?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I think!" she yelled. Great, now practically everyone on our side of the Great Hall was staring, including McGonagall and Neville.

I looked around and turned quickly back to Ginny. "Pipe down! We'll talk about it later," I hissed.

"No, we're talking about it now!" she announced to the whole hall. "Just tell me the truth!"

I growled at this, completely and utterly annoyed and frustrated. "I'm dating Neville, alright? Merlin, is this really that big of a deal?" I shouted. Silence filled the hall, shortly followed by the sound of me getting up and stalking out.


	10. With Regret

I was crying before I even started up the stairs to the Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady looked at me with concern when I arrived. "What's wrong, deary?" she asked.

I shook my head and wiped away my tears. "Nothing I want to talk about," I murmured, and she gave a sigh.

"Alright, then," she said as she opened up the painting to reveal the door. I walked through the commonroom as quickly as I could, even though there was no one there. When I got up to my room, I slammed the door shut and collapsed on my bed.

I took out my locket and played with it numbly as I stared up at the ceiling. I couldn't just avoid everyone forever- they would come get me eventually, probably ask more questions, and maybe it would all cause a big enough of a stir for me to get kicked out. I sat up and gazed at my room. Without thinking, I cast a quick charm and watched blankly as my things began to pack up into their cases. Demetrius tilted his head at me with confusion, jumping up onto my bed and snuggling beside me. I smiled sadly down at him. At least I had Demetrius.

I wrote down a note on a spare sheet of parchment and left it on my bed. With tears in my eyes, I unhooked my cloak and locket and left them on the bed beside the note. Demetrius in his cage and my belongings in their bags, I took it all in my hands and apparated away.

* * *

><p>"Emmeline?" McGonagall called as she knocked on the door. "Please let me in. I wish to speak with you."<p>

Silence.

McGonagall sighed, taking a glance at Neville. He looked as nervous as could be. "_Solus unus_," she whispered, and the door creaked open. The Headmistress gasped when she saw that it was completely empty of all personal objects. "Emmeline?" she called once more, flitting about the room worriedly.

"She's gone…" Neville breathed, eyes wide with fear. McGonagall stopped searching when she heard this, walking over and placing a consoling hand on her former cub's shoulder.

"We will find her, Neville. You have nothing to worry about," she stated calmly with an air of authority. The young man nodded hesitantly at this. His eyes slowly trailed toward the bed, where something indiscernible laid.

Neville walked over and picked up the object, watching with tearful eyes as it unfurled to be Emmeline's cloak. Beside it was a note, and on top of the note sat the locket.

_To whomever reads this,_

_I have left Hogwarts. I figured that the Ministry would come to this conclusion anyway, and there's no need to waste their time by debating it. I'm so sorry for causing trouble. Let it be known my reason for being with Neville. Simply as Headmistress McGonagall- I'm sure that she will shed light on the situation. And while I'm on the subject, please do not punish Neville in any way. It was my fault, and I am truly sorry. I've gone away to a place where I can start over without causing any more trouble._

_With regret,_  
><em>Emmeline Petrova<em>

**A/N: Yes, I know, it's a very short chapter. The next one will totally make up for it, though, you just wait!**


	11. Seconds Instead of Years

_So here I am, two years later, writing this all down. I don't even know why I'm doing it, but I felt that I had to get it off my chest._

I hesitated in writing the next line, the pure white quill shaking slightly in my hand. I took in a deep, calming breath.

_This is the first thing I've written privately in years, so how fitting that it be the exact opposite of my last journal. I'm even using the quill that Neville gave me "to write the truth", or something similar. Funny how things happen like that. Looking back now, I wonder what would have happened if I stayed. Guess I'll never know._

I shut the journal with a sigh and got up from my desk. I hurried around my apartment to get ready for work. I looked in the mirror, taking in my appearance. My hair was up in a bun on top of my head, and my bangs (which I'd straightened) hung down onto my forehead. My plain white collared shirt was tucked into a bright purple skirt that came down to just above my knees. I chucked on my grey peacoat and a pair of black heels before I headed out the door, my bag banging against my hip.

I exited my apartment building and was met with the cacophony of sounds that was New York City. After flagging down a taxi, I went through the emails on my phone. One in particular caught my attention.

_Dear Miss Petrova,_

_The Ministry invites you to a meeting to discuss your absence in the wizarding world. We would like to extend a job offering-_

I hit delete and tossed my phone back into my purse. The Ministry's new usage of technology had really become annoying as of late. I paid the driver when he pulled up to the tall, imposing building. Steve, my co-worker, was at the door with coffee as usual.

"Busy day today?" he asked with a smile.

I gratefully accepted the coffee and took a large swing of it as we got on the elevator. "Yup. Board meeting discussing the latest regulations and rules, and then client appointments at two and five. You?" I asked back.

He shrugged. "The usual- paperwork and more paperwork." I gave him an understanding look before we exited the elevator. I waved goodbye and went back to my office, shutting the door quickly to allow the peace and quiet to soothe me. As Artistic Director of the Yellow Dog Publishing Company, it seemed only fitting that my office was filled with color swatches, sample book cover designs, and binders and binders of information about different specialties that we offered.

I took another sip of my coffee and set to work at my computer, answering the emails that I hadn't gotten to while on my journey in the cab. I clicked send just as my assistant, Sarah, entered. "Tim wants to see you," she said quickly, referring to our boss.

"I'll be there in a minute," I said as I started to shut out of the windows I'd pulled up on my computer. Before I could exit out of the email window, however, a large number of emails started flooding in, all labeled in large, red letters **THE MINISTRY- URGENT**.

"What's that?" Sarah asked curiously, leaning over my shoulder. I quickly pressed the shut down button and gave her a large smile.

"Oh, just spam," I said as casually as I could.

She nodded understandingly. "It's the worst, isn't it?" I nodded in agreement before I walked out of my office, Sarah trailing dutifully behind me. I knocked on the door to Tim's office and heard a muffled "come in".

"You asked for me, sir?" I said cordially.

Tim looked up and nodded. "Yes, indeed. I want you to head up a new project in London. I'll need you there by Wednesday. I just learned about it this morning, so I apologize for how soon it is. If you say yes, then I can get you a plane ticket and hotel in an hour," he informed me.

I wanted to groan out loud at the possibility of being in London. Just perfect. "Oh, no, that's no problem at all!" I told him, probably sounding a bit too cheery. "My family actually lives there, so a hotel won't be needed."

Tim nodded at this. "Good. I knew I could count on you." He turned back to his computer as a sign for me to leave. "I'll email you the rest of the details!" he called as I exited his office.

"Fabulous. Just fabulous," I muttered under my breath when I got back to my office. I opened my email window and sighed when I saw the words at the top.

**236 NEW MESSAGES**

I groaned and put my head down on my desk. Maybe it was finally time to respond to their incessant emails. With a sigh, I set to work looking through the first email, figuring that all of them were the exact same.

_Dear Miss Petrova,_

_Seeing as how you have continued to ignore our attempts to contact you, we are left with no other choice. You are to attend a meeting at the Ministry this Thursday at eight am sharp in room 12A. Your attendance is required, or we will personally come to your place of residence to hold the meeting. I am sure that you would prefer the former option._

_The Ministry of Magic_

* * *

><p>Later that night after back to back appointments, I received the details about the project. I would be in London for two weeks overseeing the start up of a new publishing company that we were funding. My flight was set to leave at five am Wednesday morning.<p>

After dinner with a few co-workers, I set to work packing my bags with whatever I thought was necessary. While pulling out a dress in my closet, I heard something fall to the wood floor. When I turned, I saw my wand lying there sadly on the ground. I picked it up with a small smile. I hadn't used it in what, nine months now? I decided to pack it away in my bags in case I needed it.

Tuesday at work went as usual. A few of my co-workers wished me luck or congratulations with the project. That night, as I laid in my bed, I couldn't help but wonder what would happen in the next two weeks.

* * *

><p>"Emmeline! It's so good to see you!" my mother said, smothering me in a hug. "Oh, look at how you've grown-!"<p>

"It's just the heels, mum," I laughed. "I haven't grown in years. How's dad doing?" I asked as I carried my luggage through the door.

"Busy, as always," she replied with a shake of her head. "But anyway, the Ministry has been sending us owls every single day! Please tell me that you're going to that meeting tomorrow," she pleaded.

I nodded in response. "Yes, I am attending it. Do you know who will be there?" I inquired.

"I think Oliver requested that he could be there. He gets special permission since he works there, but I don't know about anyone else," she informed me. I nodded at this and went back to my bedroom to get ready for a company meeting that I had that night.

After the meeting that night, I once again lied in bed in wonder. My mind wandered to Neville, as it did once in a blue moon. I half wished that he would be there, but I knew that this was unrealistic. So instead, I simply closed my eyes and reviewed what had been discussed at the meeting.

I woke up bright and early and hopped in the shower. I took my time with my makeup and hair, wanting to look as professional and put-together as possible. I wore a jet black dress that ended at my shins with a skinny, blood red belt. Black pumps and a white coat finished the look, along with some red lipstick. I gave my mum a kiss before I headed out the door and started toward the toilets to send me to the Ministry.

Five minutes later, I walked confidently out of the fireplace and blended in with the crowd of people. I felt my wand tucked into my belt at my side, its presence oddly reassuring. I made my way to 12A, and upon entering, found everyone's eyes on me.

"I was wondering if you were going to show," the Minister, Shacklebolt, said with a wry smile.

"I didn't exactly want my apartment filled with people I didn't know," I replied sarcastically as I took a seat next to Oliver. At least twenty witches and wizards were seated at the long table.

Shacklebolt cleared his throat. "Regardless, you are here now. And I found it important to inform you that your case-"

"Excuse me? My case?" I cut in. "What case?"

"Your relationship with the professor at Hogwarts," Oliver whispered.

I gave the Minister a sharp look. "I was not aware that it was under investigation. I'm sure that the Headmistress vouched for my innocence," I stated factually.

"Indeed she did," a man spoke up from the other side of the table. He stood up slowly and fixed his garments with an air of authority. "After reviewing all evidence, you and Professor Longbottom were both found not guilty," he said.

I raised an eyebrow at the Minister. "That's it? That's what you called me here for? To tell me that I'm innocent?" I asked dubiously. "If that's all, then I have a nine o'clock meeting that I need to get to. Good day," I said shortly as I stood up.

"This meeting was also about the professor," Shacklebolt stated clearly. I froze at the door, my head turning around slowly. The Minister knew he had caught my attention and went on. "He has recently…requested your presence."

"As a last resort, I'm sure," I grumbled under my breath.

The Minister fixed me with a look. "Don't you think that a visit is in order after two years?" he asked in a tone that made it hard for me to say no.

I sighed and crossed my arms. "When is my visit to Hogwarts scheduled for?" At the blank look of the Minister, I rolled my eyes. "I'm assuming that you knew that I would say yes and went ahead and scheduled a time as a back up plan so that it would be impossible to say no. So when is the visit planned for?" I ground out, my stance firm.

"Tonight at nine. The Astronomy Tower," a woman informed me softly.

"Way to be cliche," I muttered. "I'll be there. And if he doesn't say something worth my time then I'm leaving," I said with finality before I left the boardroom. My multiple meetings throughout the day served as a perfect distraction for my wandering mind.

By the time the clock struck nine, though, I was sat on my bed, hesitating to apparate. I had changed out of my business clothes into a simple green blouse and jeans. My wand weighed heavily in my hand as I stood up and attached it to my hip. "Here goes nothing," I murmured as I shut my eyes.

I kept my eyes closed, even though I knew that I was there. I could feel the cool spring breeze passing over my face. When my eyes fluttered open, I was met with the familiar sight of the Astronomy Tower. I smiled to myself, noting that it hadn't changed a bit. The stars shone brightly in the night sky, a stark contrast to the lack of stars in the New York night. My heart stopped, however, when I heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

I held my breath when his eyes met mine. I wanted to say that he'd hardly changed, but it wasn't true. He'd grown a few more inches and his jaw looked firmer than it had before. He walked with his back completely straight, something that he must have learned to take control of a rowdy class. His eyes, however, had changed the most.

Before he actually saw me, I could see doubt. Fear. Worry. Disappointment. Hesitation. He was afraid that I hadn't come. Above all was a deep sadness and longing that wouldn't go away. But when he saw me, all of that changed. A light shone in his eyes with hope, peace, comfort, joy, adoration, and to my utter shock, love. His eyes held the greatest amount of love that I had ever seen.

"You came," he laughed disbelievingly.

I looked down at my shoes and wrapped my arms around myself. "Yeah, well, if the Ministry wants something, they get it."

Neville chuckled at that, "Yeah, they do." He was just a foot away from me, tilting his head curiously. "You've changed," he noted softly.

I gave him a grim smile. "Time does that. I'm, uh, working at a publishing company in New York City, now. Artistic Director, actually," I added on unnecessarily.

"Congratulations," he said with a nod.

I glanced out the tower at the sky, not sure of what to say to end the awkward silence. "So, um, I was busy with meetings all day and I'm kind of tired, so…what is it that you wanted to say?" I asked tiredly.

"Right! Um," he started, clearing his throat. "I just, um, wanted to say that…" he trailed off, not sure of where to go. He shook his head at himself. "I'm sorry, I've been planning what to say right now for years, and now that the moment's here, it's all slipped my mind," he admitted, embarrassed.

"Oh, uhm, it's okay," I commented, coughing awkwardly. "You were saying?"

His eyes blinked rapidly. "Oh, uhm…" he sighed. "I just…I really missed you, Emmeline." My heart skipped a beat at the sound of my name coming from his lips. "And I wish that I could have stopped you from leaving, or found you- and, and I looked everywhere, but I didn't know where you would go, and-" he stopped himself suddenly. His glassy eyes met mine. "And so I asked the Ministry to ask you to come because I didn't know what else to do. I thought that you would listen to them…and I was afraid that you wouldn't come," he admitted before sighing. "But seeing you now…it seems like it's only been seconds instead of years," he whispered, stepping closer to take my hands in his.

I felt a tear run down my cheek, and he was quick to wipe it away. "Merlin, I'm so sorry," I sniffled, my throat feeling strained with emotion. "I should have told you before I left, and I'm so sorry that I didn't." He drew me to his chest, letting me to cry into his robes.

"It's okay, Emmeline," he soothed. "We both made mistakes, and we can fix them now, okay?"

I shook my head, whispering, "I'm only in London for two weeks, Neville. Then I'm back to America."

He let out a large sigh, nodding. "We'll figure out something, okay? I'm not loosing you again." At these words, I took my head off his chest and pressed my lips against his, clutching onto the fabric of his robe.

When we separated, he silently conjured something into his hands. I looked down and saw my velvet cloak resting in his hands with the golden locket on top. "I…I kept them…in case you came back," Neville explained softly. I nodded, wordlessly running my hand over the familiar fabric. "Do you…do you want them back?" he asked hesitantly.

I turned around and pulled my long hair away from my neck, silently cueing him. He stepped forward and delicately hooked the necklace around my neck, pressing a kiss to the sensitive skin. For some reason, I wasn't as worried as I had been the last time he'd done that so many years ago. He then wrapped the cloak around my shoulders, linking it together at the front from behind.

He slid his arms around me and pulled me back into his chest, humming softly into my hair. "You become more beautiful with every passing day," Neville sighed happily. "It's astonishing to see you after two whole years," he murmured into my hair.

I leaned back against him, a small smile gracing my lips. "I love you, Neville."

"I love you, too, Emmeline."


	12. How It Ended

Those two weeks passed slowly during the day and quickly at night, making my time with Neville far too short. At night we dreamed and planned all of the ways, realistic or not, that we could stay together. Maybe he could move to New York. Maybe we could find a private portal that only we could use to visit each other. At the end of these nights, we would have tears in our eyes either from laughter or from sadness.

And then the night before my flight back to New York arrived. That night, we didn't joke. We hardly said a word, actually. Instead, we just sat there in each other's arms up in the Astronomy Tower. And then, to break tradition, we decided to take a walk around the lake. Hand in hand, we ambled slowly by the water, faces lit in the soft moonlight.

All I could think about was how much of a burden I had become to him. It was unfair to him…to make him even consider quitting his job that he loved so much. I couldn't ask that of him. I wouldn't. So where did that leave us? I didn't know.

"I…I don't know what to do," Neville whispered softly, reflecting my thoughts. "There seems to be no easy solution." I nodded solemnly at this, expecting him to say that we should split.

"But…love isn't easy," he said slowly, voice gaining confidence. "And if that means going to America, then I'm all for it. Whatever it takes, as long as I don't have to lose you again," he stated firmly, hardly noticing my look of horror.

"What? No! You're not leaving Hogwarts," I protested, crossing my arms and planting my feet firmly on the ground.

Neville's eyes were confused. "I don't think that's your decision to make."

I ran my hands through my hair frustratedly. "But you're making that decision because of me, and I don't want you to feel like I'm making you do something!"

He reached forward, but I shrank back from his touch. "Emmeline, you're not making me do anything. I want to stay with you, and I'm sure that I can find another job in New York-"

"But what if I don't want you to?" I shouted, tears starting to form in my eyes. "I don't want you to leave here where you're happy and have made your life."

He sighed and shook his head. "So then what do we do? You can't quit your job- not when you're doing so well." I begrudgingly nodded, only slightly agreeing with him.

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath, something that seemed robotic after many years of using the technique to calm myself. "Look, maybe this is a sign," I started out, not looking into his eyes. "Maybe the universe is just trying to tell us that we're not meant to be together."

Neville's shoulders slumped at these words, as if the weight of the world had just been dropped on him. He closed his eyes, and when they opened again, they were glassy. "If…If that's what you want, then okay."

My eyes widened when he began to walk away. I groaned in utter frustration, tugging at my hair. "No, you bloddy idiot!" I shouted. That caught his attention. "That's not what I want!" I said, hardly noticing how he was walking back toward me. "I want to wake up with you every single bloody day and love you until the day I take my last breath, and I'm trying so hard to think of a way to make that happen, but I can't! I just can't!" I yelled, tears streaming down my face.

He stared at me with wide eyes as sobs wracked my body. "I want you so much…but if you won't even try to fight for me when I have one shaky moment, then I don't know how this is going to work out," I sniffled, wiping away my tears as best I could.

Neville shook his head at himself angrily before he took a step forward. "Emmeline, I don't know what to do, either! I don't know how on earth I'm going to fix this!" he shouted, more at himself than me.

I cast him a dark glare. "Yeah, well join the bloody club!" I screamed back.

He looked like he was about to say something, but then stopped, taking in a deep, calming breath. "Look, Emmeline, please, just- if you don't want me to leave Hogwarts, then stay here," he pleaded. "Stay here and become the next Dark Arts professor. Merlin knows we need a replacement," he said, laughing sadly. "Please, Emmeline…I'm begging you." His eyes asked me to listen, tears gathering quickly.

I stared at him blankly. "...you mean it?" I asked, doubt clouding my mind. "Do you really mean it? I could stay here with you?"

He nodded, almost desperately. "Yes! Yes I mean it! And you can live with me, and we can grade papers together, and get married, and have as many children as you want and they can all grow up and attend class here-" he rambled, taking my hands in his. "Just stay with me," he whispered, chest heaving heavily from his speech.

I shut my eyes, leaning up on my toes and pressing the softest of kisses to his lips. "Okay," I breathed when we parted. "I'll stay."

That night, we agreed that I would fly back to New York City to tie up any loose ends. It was a rather long goodbye, even though I kept reassuring him that I was coming back. But he still held me tight and kissed me, as if he didn't believe a word I said. As if I would leave again for another two years.

* * *

><p>I went straight to the office building after the plane landed. Tim looked shocked when I barged into his office, hanging up the phone abruptly. "Petrova! I didn't expect to see you this soon. How did everything go-?"<p>

"The project went fine- I'm quitting," I stated quickly, turning on my heel.

"Wait, whoa whoa!" he called, standing up from his desk. "What do you mean you quit?"

I shrugged happily. "I quit. Found something worth staying for back in London. It probably wasn't the best idea to send a true Brit back to her homeland," I said with a wink before I walked out of the office. I cast a quick charm when I went by my office, making everything apparate to my apartment.

Tim hurried after me as I hit the elevator button to go to the bottom floor. "Emmeline- wait!" I just laughed and waved as the elevator doors slid closed.

* * *

><p>McGonagall hadn't changed at all, her eyebrow still raising in that way that made you feel like she had been expecting this somehow. "Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts?" she repeated as if she hadn't heard me right.<p>

I nodded. "That's correct." I fidgeted with my cloak nervously, awaiting her answer.

She sighed and rolled her eyes up toward the heavens. "Thank Merlin!" she whispered to my astonishment. "We've been needing a new one- someone who actually has experience," she told me as she started writing something down. "You'll start in Fall. As for until then, the current room for the professor of Dark Arts is obviously taken, so I'm not sure where you'll stay-"

"Oh, I've already made arrangements," I cut in, blushing slightly when she laughed under her breath.

"Well I'm glad to know that Neville will no longer be moping around," she said with a wink. "Now go! I'm sure he's waiting for you." She waved her hands for me to leave, and I grinned wildly.

"Thank you!" I shouted as I ran out of the office and down the staircase.

* * *

><p>"I've got to say…" Neville said as his eyes scanned the space appreciatively. "You'll definitely be the most well-dressed professor Hogwarts has ever seen."<p>

I giggled as I slipped another blouse onto a hanger. "I'm glad I know that expanding spell- it's really handy," I commented, referring to the closet in his guest room, which had recently doubled in size.

Neville came up behind me and swept me up into his arms, spinning me all around the room that I had claimed until the Fall of the next school year. He set me down and wrapped his arms around me tightly. "You'll never be alone ever again, Emmeline Petrova," he whispered happily.

And that was how the story of the lonely one came to an end- in a world that was finally seeing its first rays of light, a symbol of a new beginning.


	13. AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hello, fellow Potterheads! This story is completed, but big news: I am publishing my very first book! If you love romance (as I obviously do), then this is the book for you! It's available on Createspace, and it's called "Stories Inside of Stories" by E C Ransom.  
>To find it online:<br>1. Go to createspace .com (remove the space)  
>2. Go to the search bar<br>3. Click where it says "Site" and switch it to "Store"  
>4. Now search Stories Inside of Stories by E C Ransom<br>(it's the one with the messy green bow tie on the front)  
>Go on- take a peek at it!<p> 


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